Stonnington City Council Candidate Responses

Candidate Responses

First Name	Last Name	Ward	Do you support reducing the opening hours of poker machine venues?	Do you support local governments having greater say on the granting or refusing applications for poker machines in their respective communities?	Do you support the banning of all sports gambling ads?	Will you pledge to not take any donations from venues or organisations that derive income from gambling interests?	Will you commit to reducing gambling harm in your LGA?	Which of the policies referred to in our Candidate Information Pack do you support? What is your position on poker machine policy?
Polly	Morgan	East	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	I support all of them. I think poker machines cause a huge amount of harm in our community and we need to reduce hours that they are open for, and start to phase them out from clubs and pubs.
Joe	Gianfriddo	East	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Poker machines destroy families and communities. I oppose their insidious and destructive infiltration of our LGA's. I believe Councils should have total authority over the number of machines in their LGA and the state should have no say.
William	Moore	East	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	All of them, I worked in gambling venues when I was 18 and I've seen the harm first hand. Councils have an important leadership role to play through not having events, or funding go to venues with pokies machines, and to generally raise awareness with all stakeholders about gambling harm. Thank you for the important advocacy work you are doing!
David	Gillespie	North	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	All of them. I fully support your cause, and commit to helping reduce the damage of gambling harm in the City of Stonnington. I particularly support the Council social policies about providing a vision for the city about reducing the harm and treating gambling as a public health issue. My position on poker machine policy is that there should be stricter controls which aim to reduce the potential harm to the community, with an eventual aim to phase them out wherever possible.
Emma	Sandford	North	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	The fewer poker machines, the better.
Sarah	Barton	North	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	The policies in the Candidate information pack all look reasonable and in line with my Greens values. This is a helpful reference for planning and responding to matters relating to gambling in our local community and I will ensure that they inform all decisions that need to be made in my capacity as a councillor should I be elected.
Daniel	Merivale	North	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	I support all your policies and support reduced pokies opening hours
Alexander	Taylor	North	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	I support the reduction of hours of poker machine venues, I back gambling free public space, I back gambling free community sport . Poker machines are insidious and cause more harm than they do good, I want a poker machine free future by 2026
Patrick	Stephenson	South	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	I support all of the policies referred to in your Candidate Information Pack, I think reducing venue hours and opposing any new machines in Stonnington is a great start.
James	D'Alessandro	South	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	I support all the policies, particularly the proper treatment of gambling addiction as a public health issue. I consider poker machine reform necessary and would welcome working with the State Government to achieve this.
ILJA	Sidoti	South	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Agreed with following and support To not hold council events or activities at gambling venues To not make council grants available to venues or organisations that operate EGMs To not allow future poker machine on Council land, and plan and support the transition away from gambling use by existing venues To make organisations that operate EGMs ineligible for rates discounts. Discarding the phrases 'responsible gambling' and 'problem gambling' from council documents and discussions. Shift to the public health narrative of referring to 'gambling harm' PLANNING & ENFORCEMENT Do an assessment of social and economic impacts of poker machine venue applications, and commit resources to opposing those that will negatively impact the community Maximise community awareness of and engagement with poker machine venue applications Ensure venues are compliant with planning and other requirements through active enforcement
Mike	Scot	South	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	This issue is close to my heart on many fronts. My parents divorced when I was 2 years old because of my fathers gambling addiction. My mother and I were homeless for a short period in my teen years because of family violence caused by alcohol and gambling. I now work in community services and support people living with gambling addiction. To see gambling venues located so close to vulnerable communities and to witness people accessing these venues makes me determined to do everything I can to eradicate them from our neighbourhoods.
Rebecca	Monck	South	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	1. Support gambling free public spaces and establish programs including Libraries After Dark 2. Back gambling free sport - across all ages 3. Stop the expansion of gambling in Stonnington 4. Actively support and incentivise exisiting venues in transitioning away from gambling 5. Changing the narrative from problem gambling to gambling harm

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